Bill Text: CA SB1281 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Law schools: unaccredited law school disclosures.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2016-07-22 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 87, Statutes of 2016. [SB1281 Detail]

Download: California-2015-SB1281-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 1281	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 13, 2016
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 27, 2016
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 18, 2016
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 28, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Block

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2016

   An act to add Section 6061.7 to the Business and Professions Code,
relating to law schools.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1281, as amended, Block. Law schools: unaccredited law school
disclosures.
   Existing law requires any law school that is not accredited by the
examining committee of the State Bar of California (State Bar) to
provide every student with a disclosure statement, subsequent to the
payment of any application fee but prior to the payment of any
registration fee, that contains, among other things, a statement that
the law school is not accredited and the number and percentage of
students who have taken and who have passed the first-year law
student's examination and the final bar examination in the previous 5
years, or since the establishment of the school, whichever time is
less, as specified.
   This bill would additionally require a law school that is not
accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) to publicly disclose
on  it's   its  Internet Web site,
specified information, including tuition costs, class sizes, number
of faculty, bar passage data, and employment outcomes for graduates.
The bill would define terms for these purposes. The bill would also
authorize the State Bar to develop a standard information reporting
template. The bill would require specific disclosure information be
distributed by the school to all applicants being offered conditional
scholarships at the time the scholarship offer is extended.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 6061.7 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
   6061.7.  (a) Any law school that is not approved by the American
Bar Association shall publicly disclose on its Internet Web site,
with a link from the Internet home page under "Admissions," all of
the following information:
   (1) Admissions data.
   (2) Tuition, fees, and financial aid.
   (3) Conditional scholarships.
   (4) Enrollment data.
   (5) Number of full-time and part-time faculty, technically trained
librarians, and administrators.
   (6) Average class size of each required course and the number of
clinical offerings.
   (7) Employment outcomes for graduates.
   (8) Bar passage data.
   (b) (1) The information in subdivision (a) shall be disclosed in a
standardized information report that is readily accessible to
current and prospective students in a manner that is complete,
accurate, and not misleading to a reasonable student or applicant.
   (2) The State Bar may create a standardized information report
template.
   (3) Any law school that is not approved by the American Bar
Association shall include the standardized information report as part
of the annual compliance report required to be submitted to the
State Bar by all law schools that are not approved by the American
Bar Association and are regulated by the examining committee of the
State Bar.
   (4) A law school may use the information report template to comply
with the information disclosure required under subdivision (a).
   (c) Any law school that is not approved by the American Bar
Association shall publicly disclose on its Internet Web site, in a
readable and comprehensive manner, all of the following information
on a current basis:
   (1) Refund policy.
   (2) Curricular offerings, academic calendar, and academic
requirements.
   (3) Policy regarding the transfer of credit earned at another
institution of higher education.
   (d) The law school's transfer of credit policy shall include, at a
minimum, both of the following:
   (1) A statement of the criteria established by the law school
regarding the  transfer   acceptance  of
credit earned for coursework completed at another institution.
   (2) A list of institutions, if any, with which the law school has
established an articulation agreement and the terms of any such
agreement. If the law school has not entered into a transfer or
articulation agreement with any other college or university, the
institution shall disclose that fact.
   (e) All information that a law school reports, publicizes, or
distributes pursuant to this section shall be complete, accurate, and
not misleading to a reasonable law school student or applicant. A
law school shall use due diligence in obtaining and verifying such
information.
   (f) A law school that is not approved by the American Bar
Association shall distribute the data required under paragraph (3) of
subdivision (a) to all applicants being offered conditional
scholarships at the time the scholarship offer is made.
   (g) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions
apply:
   (1) "Admissions data" means information from the most recently
enrolled fall semester class including the total number of
applications, the total number of accepted students, and the 75th,
50th, and 25th percentile scores for the undergraduate grade point
averages and law school admission test scores of admitted students.
   (2) "Bar passage data" means the most current cumulative bar pass
rates defined and reported by the examining committee of the State
Bar.
   (3) "Conditional scholarship" means any financial aid award, the
retention of which is dependent upon the student maintaining a
minimum grade point average or class standing other than that
ordinarily required to remain in good academic standing.
   (4) "Curricular offering" means only those courses offered in the
current and past two academic years.
   (5) "Employment outcomes for graduates" means the results of a
survey by the law school, taken three years after graduation, that
breaks down the employment rate of graduates in each of the first
three years after graduation, including the rate of employment of
graduates in jobs where a Juris Doctor degree is required by the
employer and the rate of employment of graduates in jobs where a
Juris Doctor degree is an advantage in employment.
   (6) "Enrollment data" means information about the number of
students who are admitted to the school per class per year for the
past three years, the number of students who transfer to and from the
school per class per year for the past three years, and the number
of students who do not continue to attend the school each year for
the past three years on either a voluntary or involuntary basis.
   (7) "Transfer or articulation agreement" means an agreement
between the law school and any other college or university that
provides for the transfer of credits earned in the program of
instruction.